Extremists on the right wing, and uninformed Trump supporters, just don’t get it. ‘Black Lives Matter’ is a movement. It is a movement to reform the way black men and women are unfairly treated by law enforcement. But they are actually representing all of us. A complete reformation of our nation’s judicial system is mandatory. Once a respected organization designed “to protect and to serve” the people, they are now feared by millions of Americans.
Francisco Serna was suffering from the early stages of dementia. Just after midnight on Monday, he walked out of his Bakersfield home onto his driveway. An unknown individual called the police, stating that they believed a man was in their neighborhood, and that he was armed.
When the Bakersfield police arrived, they encountered Mr. Serna. He walked towards the two officers with his hands in his pockets. He was ordered to stop, and remove his hands from his pockets. When he didn’t comply, officer Reagan Selman fired his weapon seven times; killing Mr. Serna immediately. He was 73-years-old.
A search for the weapon believed to have been possessed by Mr. Serna continued into the afternoon. None was discovered; instead they found a wooden crucifix in his coat pocket. Officer Selman celebrated his one-year anniversary with the police department last July.
Situations such as this happen all too often in our nation. Thanks to the NRA, law enforcement assumes that everyone they confront is armed.
Law enforcement must receive far more extensive training. They must learn that their first choice must not be the use of deadly force. Mr. Serna did not own a weapon; in fact he was opposed to the ownership of firearms. Unfortunately the officers involved did not have body cameras, or dashboard cameras in their possession.
Some disturbing statistics. 1,199 Americans were killed by law enforcement in 2015. More than 33,000 men, women, and children die from the use of a gun each year in the United States. A mass shooting is defined when three or more people are shot by their attacker. In 2015, there were more mass shootings than days on the calendar. Statistics are not available for these last numbers; they do not exist. However, reading accounts in local newspapers, we know that more than 100 children gained access to a loaded weapon, and shot themselves, another child or an adult in 2015.
This makes America the most violent nation in the world. Several years ago, Australia had similar problems, until the government established sensible gun laws. Both gun owners and non-gun owners are extremely pleased with the results.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Follow me on twitter; @jamesturnagenov
The Truth With No Restrictions 